The Protoss Rebirth
by Writer Frantic
Summary: Inspired by the stories of East Bridge. In a land of strife, when will and control struggle against each other, one shall form and take over destiny. How so? By the wit and cunning of the Protoss Khala.
1. Rising

Rising

To Nate, death was something that he never expected to occur for at least half a century to him. He had barely broken into the tennage years and was still quite early in his life. There was a lot he was looking forward to.

Then he died.

It wasn't even a exciting or worthwhile death in his opinion. In fact, in hindsight, it was an utter failure of a method to exit the living. What was it exactly?

Nate's foot had slipped on a staircase and the weight of his school backpack had toppled him forwards and over the railing when he tried to regain balance, leading the boy to fall to his death a few stories down. It was a clean and simple wound really, a smooth snap of the neck that yielded utter darkness. How unfortunate, Nate thought rather cynically, and then died.

O O O

 **5th Day: Cycle 5001**

He woke up to the buzzing of flies.

It was a persistent sound in his ear, the hum and throb of tiny wings that never ended. A slight tickling sensation on his cheek signaled that one such fly had landed on his cheek, and his body shivered in response, startling the insect and sending it buzzing off. Slowly, his eyes opened up, eyelid cracking open to view what afterlife he had been sent to.

He was sure that it was the afterlife after a quick look, for he was lying ontop of what seemed to be mutilated corpses.

Indeed, several pale and lifeless limbs were sticking out of the pile he had awoken ontop of, the bodies clad in pathetic attempts at clothing and he was no different. He took a quick look at himself as he gently slid off the corpse pile, noting he was wearing what seemed to be a poor excuse of a hospital gown.

The glint of light caught his eye and he turned to examine this new item: a broken mirror, sticking out of presumably a trash pile that was stacked neatly next to the dead bodies. Gingerly, he pulled out the broken shard and tilted it carefully to examine himself. There was a low and shocked gasp as he nearly dropped the shard, stunned by his appearance.

He wasn't human. In the mirror, the boy once known as Nate still saw a young boy, but definitely not a human. For one, his ears weren't normal; they were pointed and sharp, sticking out of his oddly blue colored hair. His eyes drew his attention next, the golden irises tilted vertically much like a snake. His complexion appeared to be quite fair to the point of almost becoming a ghost, and he was incredibly slim. What in the world was he?

 _The Firstborn._ The term sprang to his mind without any effort, as well as its meaning. _We are the first of this universe._

With that, an entire well of knowledge surfaced in his mind, as well as a new name: Zane. This life became blindingly clear, all the suffering and the pain pressing in. He clutched his head his brain throbbed with agony, memories literally slicing his nerves.

This was the world of Ark. The home city of the glorious Firstborn race. Its majesty and elegance took form in glorious skyscrapers, nodes, crystal generators. It was a bustling hub of life, the central government, the perfect city upon a hill.

That was, until one took a look at the lower levels of society.

His memories were broken and shattered from trauma, but Zane could remember fragments and important details. He was born in the slums of the city, with a family poorer than mice. His parents died very soon after his birth, their death unnoticed by all but their children. Growing up on the streets had done nothing to bring happiness, and had only instilled a very tough and harsh attitude upon him. Then...

His memory refused to pull up any more information, a harsh flash of pain clouding the time before his...death?

Zane remembered one detail out of that time; seeing his own heart getting ripped from his body. That was enough.

With a deep breath, Zane turned to look back at the pile of bodies and, for the first time, noticed their desecration. There was very clear evidence showing that they had been operated upon, then discarded. To what purpose or end though?

Looking around, Zane finally took in his surroundings and found his next step forward. He and the pile of bodies and the pile of trash appeared to be in a dimly lit enclosed metallic room, walls and floor stained with the blood of countless corpses before him. At one of corners of the room, there was a metal door, illuminated by a red power streak that ran across it. Come to think of it, it was the only real source of light in here. Where did the rest come from?

 _"All personnel, please prepare,_ " An unseen intercom blared, as if answering his question. But it wasn't exactly a good answer. _"Incinerator now activating._ "

The ground below him suddenly began to move as Zane realized with sinking horror why the bodies were tossed in here. A burning heat was felt by his legs as he scrambled away from the widening gap in the center of the room, the boy staring down into a pit of fire that his corpse would've disappeared into. _I'm going to die again!_

That realization jolted him into action as Zane rushed to the metal door and began pounding on it. Nothing! He kicked. Nothing! How was he going to get out?!

In a fit of frustration and anger, Zane slammed his fist into the door. There was no reaction besides aching bones, but then- a spark! His hand came alight as electrical currents coursed from the door's energy to him, a intense feeling that left Zane screaming as his body tried so hard to accept this new power source. He collapsed on the ground in pain, noting how close the maw of the incinerator was now. There really was nothing he could do, was there?

Then the door, its power source gone, activated the failsafe: opening up to reveal a shocked masked person at the controls of the incinerator. "What the hell?!" The man's angered shout snapped Zane out of his reverie of pain and the boy lunged forward, rolling into the control room just as the gap reached him.

The would-be murderer got out of his seat and fiddled with something at his belt, but Zane was already on him, fists cackling with electricity as he punched the larger individual. The sudden melee attack brought the man down and Zane proceeded to simply pummel him. It was only when the struggling stopped and the resisting hands fell limp did the boy paused and fall back, taken back by the wave of exhaustion over him. Moments later, he was hit by another realization as he looked down at the lifeless body in front of him.

Zane had just killed a man. The shock of killing another washed over him as he shivered, but almost immediately, it was then gone. It was replaced by cold efficiency and resolve as the boy began to search the body for anything useful. _They tried to kill me. It's my life or theirs, and I value my life far much more than they value mine._

There was only one thing he could really take, and that was a small baton object from the man's belt. Was this what he was trying to go for in the struggle? It was almost as long as Zane's head, nothing very special.

That was, until his fingers brushed over and pressed a small button at the base. With a surprising amount of force, the baton unfurled quickly, snapping into the shape of a long and thing pole. Zane staggered a bit from the sudden shift in weight, but he quickly recovered and tried hefting it around. It swung almost effortlessly for the boy, almost as if reacting to his demands and adjusting for them. It would most certainly do for a weapon.

Noticing that the pole would hardly fit through the door unless he held it in a very blatant way, Zane pushed the button again and the weapon folded back up into a baton with ease. He had no belt to hang it off like the dead man, but just having something in his hands made Zane confident. He could find a way out of this place.

The door to the control room hissed open and Zane nimbly dashed through, pressing himself aganist the nearest wall out of instinct. He was right now in an empty corridor, one that seemingly lead to many doors, paths, leads. There thankfully seemed to be no cameras, as that would most definitely raise alarms if they saw an escaped test subject. However, where was Zane supposed to go?

Again, as if answering his question, an intercom cackled to life over his head. _"All personnel, please note that subject 263 has escaped from his cell. Repeat, subject 263 has escaped. Code yellow."_

263? Zane glanced down at his meager clothes and saw the number 262 sewed on the upper left chest area. So they didn't know that he was alive and running around. But then who else escaped?

He didn't have time to think about that question any longer as one of the doors just a few meters away opened up and two grumbling security guards in red armor emerged from it. "Code yellow, my arse," One of them muttered through a helmet. "Probably going to be caught before we even start our rounds."

"Can't they just accept nobody's going to care for them?" The other guard harshly suggested, straightening his belt. "Well, let's get it over with-"

Without hesitation, Zane unfurled his weapon and slammed the end into the back of a guard's helmet, sending the man sprawling forwards. The other guard immediately turned around to meet this sudden attack, but he was greeted by a pole to the face as Zane struck in one smooth downwards motion using the other end. This caused the man to bend over in pain, and the boy quickly followed up with a kick to the abdomen that knocked the guard down next to his partner. The two were still alive, but were definitely not going to get up for a while.

Not wanting to lose anymore time searching for an escape, Zane took off opposite the door the guards had emerged from. He had no real idea where he was going, but he was determined to get out of this facility. But it was going to very much more difficult now.

More and more guards were appearing in the corridors that had once been empty, and many of them spotted Zane before he could bolt in a different direction. "You there! Stop!" They had shouted before taking off in pursuit. Soon enough, he had an entire squad of them trying to catch the boy as he rounded corner after corner in this endless maze of corridors. How in the world was he going to lose them?!

The answer was somehow far simpler than expected when Zane decided to take a chance and went into one of the many random doors. As he passed, his hand brushed against the control panel inside and sparks flew as the escapee shivered. The panel short-circuited and the door slammed shut, locking itself as was the random nature of such electronics when a fuse was blown. "He's locked himself in the armory!" The faint cry of the guards could be heard as Zane looked around in surprise.

Indeed, he appeared to be in a room filled with weapons and armor. Racks upon racks of rifles were stacked neatly against the walls, and hundreds of various odd shaped batons, handles, and nightsticks were scattered around the room on tables. They could easily outfit an entire army in here!

What drew Zane's eyes was a set of interesting looking silver gauntlets on one of these tables. He wasn't exactly sure why they alone stood out to him, it was just as if they _called_ to him. With slight hesitation, Zane slide them on and rotated his hands experimentally. The armaments surprisngly left his wrists quite free and flexible, and they hardly constricted any movements. What did they do?

He had no idea. But then, the light glinting off the gauntlets led him to look involuntarily up to the ceiling and the lone lightbulb in the room. And just right next to that light bulb...perfect.

"We've got him!" The guards cried out as they finally managed to rewire the door to open and stormed in. They had weapons out and ready to subdue the escape captive, but he was nowhere to be seen as they turned the armory inside out looking. In the rather loud clatter of noise they made, none of the guards heard the thumping of metal right above their heads.

Zane grunted a bit as he crawled through the small vent, thankful that his child sized body was quite adapted to this environment. He passed over several grates that showed the corridors of the facility, and he immediately saw that solo escape would be very difficult. There were just too many guards in the place for a single person to evade; another escape plan would have to be enacted.

But there was one grate that made Zane paused as he reached it. It was quiet and dark, unlike the others he had passed over by, and it reeked of...something. It wasn't a very pleasant smell, that was for sure. The boy leaned over to see if he could get a better look of what was inside.

And then the grate collapsed under him, Zane tumbling out of the vents and crashing onto the ground below as he got up and looked at the vents in bewilderment. Ah...it would appear that much like the room he was in now, the grate was quite poorly maintained and gave way easily under the boy's weight. He would have to be a bit more careful from now on.

Just as that resolution set in, a pair of powerful hands reached over Zane's shoulders and put him in a choke hold, dragging him off his feet as he frantically beat against his captor's wrists. Realizing he couldn't just hit his way out, the boy opted to bend over and throw the attacker over his head- a risky maneuver, as it could snap his own neck, but it worked as the choke hold was broken and Zane was freed from his captor. He scrambled back up to his feet and looked to make out his attacker just as his assailant was doing the same. There was a pause.

"...Brother?"

 **A/N: And a Happy New Year to you all. This is my gift. The Protoss Rebirth!**

 **...okay, so I should probably explain myself. "In a few weeks" suddenly turned into "in a few months" as I realized how massive Into the Void was for the franchise. Possibly the last Starcraft game we'll be getting for a while. Hence, I decided to go back and do a quick rewrite for the first few chapters to better set the mood to reflect that of the new expansion. I do hope that you are all still interested in this series and will continue to support it!**


	2. Bloody Takeover

**Disclaimer: I do not own Starcraft or its affiliates.**

Bloody Takeover

 **5** **th** **Day: 5001 Cycle**

"Zane!" The former assailant exclaimed, relaxing from his combat stance. "You're alive! I…I thought that they had taken you, brother!"

"Brother?" The blue haired boy repeated, frowning as his mind tried to formulate the proper response. "I have….a brother?"

"Of course! Don't you at least remember my name?"

Name, name, name…name of his brother…Zane's eyes widened as he finally remembered his only known living, and surprisingly blood relative: an older brother by the name of Xiao. He was taller and considerable more well-built than Zane's relatively slim form. His blue hair was definitely a shorter cut than that of his younger brother, but there still was the same golden glow that shone from those tilted eyes. Immediately, Zane felt confidence and warmth surge through him as he realized he wasn't alone in his path anymore.

"Xiao…I'm sorry, I remember now. You must forgive me, my mind is a bit off at this time."

"I would expect as much! How did you survive?" His older brother walked towards him and examined Zane thoroughly. "I don't even see a mark from all those surgeries that we've had. How can it be?"

"Surgeries?" The boy blinked, his head aching for but a brief moment before fading. "Ah, I'm sorry. I think I've developed some kind of amnesia, I can't seem to recall anything about those."

"Consider yourself lucky then, take a look." Xiao stuck out his arm and Zane's eyes widened at the multitude of scars marring the skin. They were, in short, ugly and impressionable. He could perhaps cover them up somehow in public, but they would forever remain on the person. How in the world was Zane's unblemished in comparison?

His eyes wandered and Zane saw, sewed into Xiao's plain patient gown, the number 263. The earlier broadcast through the facility rang in his ears: _Prisoner 263 has escaped._ "You've escaped from where they were holding you?"

"I could have always escaped," Xiao flatly remarked, glancing around. "It was a simple matter to break the lock, even malnourished."

"Then why now?'

"Because I was worried about you." That simple answer took Zane off guard as he blinked in surprise. "I didn't want to leave you alone in this…place. I tried my best to find you, but it was only today did I hear that they were seen carting you to the incinerator. For what it may be, I'm sorry for letting you go through whatever hell you went through in there."

As if on cue, the door to the brothers' secluded room burst open as a couple of guards stormed in. They must've heard their talk from the hallway! Zane grimly readied his baton, but there was no need as the two attackers suddenly dropped to the ground, motionless. Above them stood Xiao, his hands red and raw but a determined grin on his face. He, with near inhuman speed, had given the two guards solid haymakers to the back of their helmets! "How...?" The boy stuttered.

"So let me start making up for that by helping us escape!" The elder brother cackled, cracking his knuckles. "It would seem that their…operations on me have had some effect. Let's turn their experiments against them!"

Experiments…"Xiao, are there more captives like us in here?" Zane asked, a rather insane plan coming to mind. "And do you think you can find them?"

"I wouldn't be a street ganger if I didn't know how to get information in this place. Follow me!"

O O O

"Here's the last prisoner!" Xiao shouted, grabbing the rather scarred prisoner and hauling them to their feet. He smiled as he recognized the prisoner as yet another fellow street ganger in their collection of freed prisoners. It would seem that these captors had picked up the wrong people to experiment on. "You! You're free now, but you're going to have to help fight our way out!"

"I'm with you!" The experimented young man blurted, cracking his knuckles. "When do I get a weapon?"

"Here, give him yours!" Zane ordered and one of the other prisoners, one of the few truly innocent and ignorant, happily relinquished their plasma pistol to the ganger. Halfway through freeing them all, the group had stumbled upon the armory, meaning that there was now a menagerie mix of both small arms weapons and odd melee tools that they have armed themselves with.

Now, they stared at Zane, as if waiting for orders. Understanding that they now saw him as their makeshift leader, the boy cleared his throat and gave a simple speech. "Brothers and sisters! Today, we fight to free ourselves from our captors! We may be weak and malnourished and in pain, but as shown, these monsters have unknowingly given us power through their twisted experiments! Let us use the weapons our enemy has so kindly given us and turn it against them and claim this facility for our own!"

With a roar, the armed prisoners struck out. Already, numerous bodies of guards were everywhere from the crusade to liberate all those who were held captive. And now again, Zane could admire the obvious skill and ability these liberated prisoners fought with.

They were graceful in their combat, almost to the point of being a dance. They moved with speeds that only one could see if focused upon, their movements faster and deadly as they carved a bloody path through the panicking groups of guards that still remained in this place. Be it melee or ranged, the weapons these former captives bore were wielded with incredible proficiency and skill-perhaps another effect of the experiments was fast weapon mastery?

But a definite effect of the experiments was the elemental power unleashed. Fire, ice, and lightning swept over the corridors as the experimented let loose whatever powers had been installed into them, turning the implants against their creators. The irony would've made Zane cynically grin had it not been for the fact that screams and cries penetrated the air that these elements clouded.

O O O

Then it was silent.

"That should be all of them." Xiao appeared at Zane's side with barely a warning. It took all of Zane's nerves to not jump up at surprise from his brother's appearance. How could he move so fast? "We've began dragging all the bodies to the incinerator for disposal, so the stink doesn't flood us."

The boy nodded, agreeing as he calculated predicted morale of the inmates. Considering they had just been freed, it would be understandably high; however, as there had certainly been losses among their own, it would be best to work them before battle adrenaline crashed and the implications of those gone began weighing heavily. "Very well then. What else?"

"There has been some discussion among them regarding what everybody will do now that we're free." There was a deliberate pause before his next sentence. "Many speak of following you, brother."

Zane's cold response surprised Xiao. "As expected. Several are gangers and they know you well. I probably just gained their respect as well with my leadership, so it is only obvious they want to know what I'm doing at least."

"Well, what are your plans exactly? I don't have any doubts that you'd make a good choice, but just know that I'll be following you."

Good question. What did Zane want to do? He blinked, thinking deeply for possibly the first time, considering his moral aspects. It would quite simple to just disappear back into the streets, back into ganger life. It would be safe as well, unless the city decided to actually clean up. That'll be the same day as pigs fly.

But…all of this experimentation…would it be cruel or justified to consider it a waste?

"I'm thinking that we take over this facility as our own," Zane finally suggested, a clear tone indicating that he saw himself as its leader. "Of course, without the immoral act of kidnapping or involuntary experimentation; if anything, I say we become a beacon."

"A beacon? Of what exactly?"

"I say a beacon for a better life. Or perhaps even a new chance at life. Think about it." The blue haired boy dramatically swept his hands, gesturing to the building in question. "We can fill these halls with better memories than we ourselves have experienced. It would be fitting, to cleanse away the hate and death that this place has seen. I'd not see something like this go to waste simply because we have sour memories."

"'Sour' is a bit of a light term, don't you think?" Xiao remarked with a cynical chuckle. "But…the idea is quite tempting. You are essentially proposing the creation of a new gang if I am to understand."

Zane paused before shaking his head. "No. Not just a gang. I'm aiming for something that…yes, it will be for the greater good of us all."

"What are you thinking of?"

"A new powerhouse. A new rule. A new lead for all Firstborns. The Protoss Order."

O O O

The facility had been all cleaned up of the battle for it. All bodies have been cremated, all blood stains wiped, all damage repaired. It was interesting how such skilled combatants had swapped so easily from drawing blood to cleaning it up, perhaps a testament to their adaptability and mindset. Or perhaps to their casual bloodlust.

Everybody was gathering in the auditorium, a total of perhaps 30 former prisoners. Many were gangers, used to toughing it out on the streets and doing whatever it took to scrape their daily livings. Some, however, were still innocent in such harsh lifestyles, kidnapped from maybe one of the higher classes of living. But all of them, without exception, knew they all shared the same scars from those forced experiments that allowed them victory this day.

Another thing they all shared as well though was their belief in the young boy who stood in front of them, with the famous Xiao right behind him. In the streets, Xiao's martial prowess was renowned. In addition, he was highly charismatic when it came to talking or convincing others, hence why so many of the prisoners were eager to join the two brothers' escape. It was clear, from where the young man stood, that he supported Zane.

"I understand that many of you loath this place, and want nothing than to see it burned to ashes," Zane quietly began. "It is tempting, I share that same feeling. There are too many unspeakable horrors forced upon us.

"But that doesn't break the cycle this facility was stuck in. They will come and rebuild and they will continue to experiment. I cannot accept this when the perfect opportunity has already presented itself for me.

"I claim this as my own, but it is open to all. It is, to say, a safe house for anybody who wishes for something better than what we all are. I will, if anybody be found willing and wanting, train them. And…I will not lie, but data still does exist upon these experiments. And I do intend on replicating them, but only on those who are ready and willing.

"No more shall there be unfortunate accidents like us, but rather, the product of a purposeful and beneficial organization that I will found. Is there anybody who will contest my claim, or demand better of me?" Zane's question was directed at everybody, and most were dead silent. They knew what he spoke of, of the hardships that they had all shared, and they knew what he wanted to change.

Or rather, perhaps it was simply the glare that Xiao was giving to the crowd that clearly stated "No objections."

But even still then, there was one voice. "I'm sorry, but…I cannot see myself following you into this organization you speak of," A girl with raven black hair said, shaking her head. "I won't contest you at all, and if you so desired, I shall not speak of this back on the streets."

Zane sighed, somewhat expecting at least one to say that. "I put no restrictions on anybody. You are free to speak, and free to leave. Simply do not oppose us, and there is nothing to say that you will come to harm from us."

"I thank you, and take my leave."

A couple others followed her, stating their intentions of neutrality as well before exiting the facility back out into the streets. But of those who were left, Zane had no doubts: they would be the first of his order, the beginning generation that would set in motion a revolution. They would be the first Templars. And, as time passed, they would become the Templar masters, training even more to follow in the path that Zane had set for the future.


	3. What Needs to be Done

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Starcraft franchise or any affiliates.**

What Needs to be Done

 **12** **th** **Day of 1** **st** **Moon: Cycle 5001**

Zane learned much over the next week, but without even mentioning his lack of knowledge. His memories were still fuzzy and congested, so any bit of information he could obtain without looking like a fool was information well gained. It gave him a much better idea of what situation he was in, what he had managed to accomplish, and what he still needed to do.

For one, the dating system was quite peculiar among the Firstborn: They used a system not unlike that of Earth's calendar system, but instead of months they had moons and instead of years, cycles. While a slight minor detail, it was comforting to Zane that he would be able to understand the dating cycle.

The planet they were living upon was covered entirely in a single city, hence the city and planet's unified name of Arks. It was the home world of the Firstborn, from where all of their galactic holdings are ruled. No matter where they may go, where they may settle or conquer, Arks will always be the home of all their race.

This made Zane's goal rather simple now: establish a majority control over the theoretical styled government of Arks. From what he could understand, majority of the Firstborn worshiped the Ancients, a supposed galactic empire that had pioneered much of their technology. Advanced shields, psionic power, and…blade weapons.

This particular day found Zane meditating in a private chamber, formerly the head scientist's office before cleared entirely out and black lit. Only a small holodeck was left behind in the center of the room, growing dusty already from lack of use, the dim green light pulsing gently in the darkness. That was all that was in there.

And yet, the young boy sat there, eyes closed as his palms rested against his crossed legs. He breathed in and out evenly, ensuring that there was a constant flow going in and out of his body, a symbol for the energies he harnessed. His mind was perfectly adept at monitoring this psionic power, controlling it as if it was simply another natural biological function of his.

The Firstborn minds were very much used to wielding unnatural manipulations of power, but to control to this degree and precision…It must be from the experiments. There could be no other reason. The survivors had greater control of their natural born talents than compared to those untested. This was no doubt one of the goals of these forced surgeries-

"Brother." Zane's wandering mind slowly trailed off as he allowed the energy to calm and lay dormant, the room reacting to his shifting body by turning on the lights. The young boy got up and walked over to the door, pushing the panel and allowing it to hiss open. "I have news," Xiao reported, nodding gratefully as Zane waved him into the office.

"What is it? Have our scouts reported movements yet?" The trail of paperwork had lead the Templars discovering the supposed main headquarters of the scientists, and a few of the quieter members had volunteered to keep surveillance in case word of their escape had prompted a response.

"No, rather, it seems to be quiet on that end for now. But," Xiao shifted uncomfortably, clearly perturbed by his announcement. "We have…recruits."

Zane blinked once before understanding. It hadn't been long before their takeover had spread among the gang community in Arks, and it hadn't been long before the first few people began showing up seeking asylum and safety with the Templars in return for their loyalty. "People wish to undergo the trial to become full members?"

"Yes, and we have indeed successfully recreated the…experiments." The older brother sighed, shaking his head. "It was entirely automated by robots, so long as we have the proper materials and subjects. Screening has begun among the volunteers, and we have determined that majority of them are able."

"I see." There was a pause as Zane carefully analyzed Xiao's stance. "You don't like this."

"I…I cannot necessarily say that I dislike it, but I find it uncomfortable. Is it right to subject even the willing to our pain? To share the burden is enough, but our pasts as well?"

"Trust me, I don't like this any more than you do." Zane moved and placed hand on the older man, an almost awkward gesture considering their definite height differences respectively. "But we cannot ignore the opportunities that have opened up for us because of this change. And we can no less deny people who wish for these opportunities, lest we become no different than the foe we fight. Choice is something I wish our order to have."

"You…you speak truthfully and freely brother." Xiao's tensed shoulders relaxed, the man looking at his younger brother in his eyes with new found confidence. "I wish that I could have come up with such an explanation myself, but I suppose that is why you are the leader and not me. I will see to the experiments personally to ensure their success."

"If it calms your mind, I will allow the use of painkillers and sense numbers; they should take some, if not all, the pain away," Zane offered, hiding the wince at his bleeding heart; these drugs weren't exactly cheap, but to ease his brother's mind and perhaps his own conscience…

"That is brilliant idea! I'll see to it that these recruits will survive these tests without the pain we had to endure." With that, Xiao left the office, leaving Zane alone again.

O O O

This circular room was dark as well, metal blinds covering up the windows of the office and shielding it from the sun's rays. There was a source of light emanating from the center however, a dim red hologram that flickered every so often, barely illuminating the red hooded figure meditating next to it. Every so often, his chest would tilt as the man exhaled and inhaled, focusing on his balance of power. It was identical to what Zane had been performing at the same time.

Except, the hologram finally decided to flicker to life and another red hooded figure appeared, kneeling in the digital display. "My lord. Disturbing news."

Slowly and calmly, the figure broke his meditative state and responded, his deep tone reverberating throughout the chamber. "Speak freely, and without hesitation. What is the issue?"

"We have lost contact with one of our labs, Operation and Collection Facility No 13. All attempts to raise them on coms have yielded no results. So, a team was sent to check."

"And what has occurred?"

"The lab has been taken over by the patients themselves. Apparently, they declared themselves a new power if our spies in the slums are to be taken word for. The gangs, in particular, seem to be allying themselves with these group of-"

"Enough." The talker immediately claimed up, bowing his head even lower as the hooded man glared at the hologram. "And why does this constitute my attention? Do you not understand the tasks I have before me?"

"I…I am sorry my lord. I shall see to it personally that this matter is taken care of."

"Go. And if you are successful, I cared not for your report. Squash this matter and carry on."

"Yes my lord!" With that hasty affirmative, the hologram turned off as the communication link was terminated. The hooded man sighed and began to meditate again, but knew that it was in vain. The psionics he wielded were uneasy… _danger_ , they screamed. _There is danger ahead._ Could this be an actual threat to his life's work? Or…could they possibly-

Then his office door hissed open and the hooded man knew that his psionic senses were simply overreacting as yet another hooded figure appeared, stepping into the room without care of protocol. The only sign of respect he showed was kneeing with both legs before the man, head practically kissing the floor. "The psionics told me to approach."

"And they were not misguided." The man quickly made up his mind and nodded, patting the newcomer's shoulder. "I have a task for you. There is a sortie to reclaim Facility No. 13. Watch from a distance and report the outcome to me alone, my apprentice."

"Yes master. I shall not fail you." With that, the apprentice Templar Styx took his leave, feeling nothing but simply focus towards his task. He would not fail.

O O O

"Oh gods….may you deliver us unto salvation….may you deliver us unto joy….may you deliver us unto freedom-"

"Shut your racket already!" A solid kick to the pleading girl's jaw slammed her against the wall, eyes wide as the plasma rifle was leveled at her. "Now you've gone and gotten me pissed! Why, I oughta-!"

"Cool your jets, we need them alive," The partner captor reminded, busy making sure that the chains for the other captives in the room were still holding. "Kill one of them and we'll be given even more work cleaning up the cell for the next batch."

"Bah! This is why I hate this lab location; nothing but the stupidly religious brainwashed racketing my ears!" The guard spat at the injured girl. "Renounce it! I dare you!"

"I-I-I renounce the gods!" She pleaded, throwing herself on the floor, sobbing. "Please, just don't kill me!"

"Oh, we won't kill you, we'll just make your life hell." The two guards laughed as if they just shared a good joke. "And the same goes to all you lot! If I catch anybody muttering stupid chants or something like that again, I'll make sure that you won't be even able to chat ever again!"

At this, all the remaining captives shuddered and curled up, willing themselves to never subject their fates to gods that may or may not exist. The two guards laughed once more before slamming the cell shut, the lock sliding into place echoing through their bruised pointed ears. There was nothing.

One brown haired boy, however, simply glared at the door. His striking eyes could have drilled lasers into the door, but they closed as he sighed and clasped his chained hands together. "May the gods save us…may my faith prove victorious…may my faith be worthy…"

O O O

"So she….didn't make a sound at all?"

"No, and when I started beating, she just stared!" The guard shivered. "She didn't even shed a tear, I swear, she stared!"

"Well….I mean, they do say she came from the main head facility..." His partner reassured, patting his colleague's back. "We'll break her one day I expect. Then she will be like the rest!"

"Probably...nobody can hold their silence forever."

Unbeknownst to them, said white haired girl heard every word of their conversation as she laid on the cell floor, her bruised skin burning up against the cool stone. Her long ears twitched as she mentally made note of the guards' confidence in their control. It would help her escape perhaps. Or it could help her take glee in destroying that control.

Either way, she thought as her consciousness swam in and out, what am I? Who am I?

O O O

As all three suffered, it was only natural for destiny to tie them together perhaps. That would be good path to set them on to the destructive end in motion.

How poetic. She should maybe write it down, but that was her colleague's job.


	4. Silent Message

**Disclaimer: I do not own Starcraft or its affiliates**

Silent Message

 **7** **th** **Day, Month 1** **st** **, 500** **th** **cycle**

Zane was stopped by his brother on his way to the general mess hall. Xiao whispered in his ear for a brief moment as the young boy eyes' narrowed. Eventually, he gave a curt response and the older brother nodded before going back to his tasks without nary a sign of interruption. The blue haired boy, on the other hand, deviated from his task of obtaining food to obtaining his gear.

There was a fight to be had, and if he were lucky, Zane could possibly test out the new weapons of the Templars even further.

O O O

The more advanced members of their organization were already lined up at the edges of the building, watching as the red and black trail of soldiers advanced up the street. They hardly needed to worry about the enemy spotting them, as it was both night time and it was the slums; it was a miracle to see the building past the one in front of you at times. The group, about eight people in all, wore green cloaks with hoods shadowing their faces, with various emblems and patches sowed on to show their personal differences. All of them were wearing leather and metal gauntlets, as well as a myriad of other weapons on their person, held in place by various belts and armor pieces.

Footsteps approaching the group made them turn around as two more cloaked figures in green appeared, one from the shadows and the other from simply leaping down a nearby building. They joined the observation position. "Numbers?" Xiao quietly asked as he noted their heavy armor and laser weapons.

"Two full squads, about 20 people," One of them whispered.

"Positioning? I only see five here."

"Vanguard group we assume. Others won't be far behind."

"You all, delay the arrival of the main group subtly," The black haired boy ordered and the eight Templars nodded before dispersing. Four of them simply disappeared and reappeared across the street and repeated, continually teleporting around as they stealthily made their way through the enemy vanguard. The other four followers simply ran and leapt from building to building, being sure to never make a noise as they made headway around the vanguard's possible detection range, never alerting the enemy to their presence.

The two brothers watched their departures with nods of approval. "They pick up quick," Xiao commented as he looked out into the night sky. "It would seem that we will not have to worry about the training regimens of our new recruits."

"But it is clear that two types of Templars shall arise brother," Zane quietly commented as he got on the ledge of the building and began wobbling back and forth. "And from there, our order shall have two types of warriors at our command, one that coincidentally suits our styles."

"And what may they be?" Zane too got on the ledge, but instead of standing, he crouched and rotated his neck around slowly, warming up. The older brother turned to see his younger sibling give a sly wink before disappearing in a blink of an eye.

Down below, there was a gruesome shriek as a glowing green blade popped out of the chest of a soldier, droplets of blood fizzling and evaporating in contact with the psionic weapon. His comrades spun around in alarm to see Zane kicking the corpse off his stiletto psionic blade as he studied the glowing green weapon on his arm with interest. "So this is how my weapons actually work," The young Templar mused, looking up to see the shocked masked enemy. "Well?"

Before any of the soldiers even began drawing weapons, Xiao made his move. He leapt from his crouching position, dropping fast and heavy as he slammed into the ground between two other enemy men. Quicker than the eye could follow, his two arms came upwards and slammed elbows into the two soldiers' mask, caving them in and letting the bodies crumple to the ground.

The remaining two fumbled with their weapons before two swords were drawn, a flick of the switch charging them with electricity. Zane mused through his knowledge and quickly identified the weapon as a power sword, a cheap replacement for psionic blades. This scouting squad must really be on the lowest ladder in the enemy hierarchy.

He quickly revised that thought as the enemy charged Zane and Xiao with sudden speed and skill. The brothers found themselves caught off guard as they frantically defended themselves, the element of surprise now on the side of the enemy. It would seem even the grunts of the enemy were just as skilled as his Templar. It would be hard to get a killing head blow now, with the two being forced to evade the heavy infantry's attacks.

However, Zane wasn't out of tricks. He quickly rolled backwards to dodge a horizontal slash before reaching for his baton on his belt, deactivating his psionic blade in the process. A quick flick of his hands extended the item into a pole, but an additional pulse of energy he sent through the weapon activated its real form. Out of the top of the pole, glowing green energy spiked outwards and fluctuated wildly before taking on the shape of a curved blade. With a twirl, Zane readied his psionic scythe as the enemy reappraised the situation.

He didn't have the chance to come up with an appropriate counter before the boy disappeared in a flurry of dust. The heavily armored man blinked, suddenly realizing that he was staring at his own…body…

With a flick, the Templar leader reappeared, his scythe's blade already burning off the blood that came with the decapitation of his foe. His eyes blazed green as the shadows lingered on Zane's body, an aftereffect of the powers he had just harnessed to eliminate his foe. "I am Dark Templar," He softly intoned, flicking his weapon and reducing the scythe back to its small and innocent form.

The sudden decapitation of the man's comrade made him flinch before the heavy trooper lunged at Xiao, sword outward. The older brother didn't hesitate as he stepped closer and smashed the blade between his two gauntlets. With a solid snap, the sword broke in half and Xiao finished the job with a strong elbow strike to the visor, sending the foe crashing backwards. "Well, I guess that with that dramatic declaration, it's only fair that I make one myself: I am High Templar!"

With that, the small fight was over and the enemy vanguard was eliminated. Xiao tensed up and held up a hand as his augmented sense picked up a noise in the background. Barely a second later, a Templar leapt downwards from a nearby rooftop and was kneeling in front of the young man. "Sir, we have located the remaining enemy squad. We are ready to strike from both shadows and up high. Your orders?"

Xiao glanced at Zane who gave a slight nod. "Attack. No witnesses and no collateral," The elder brother told his subordinate. There would be no room for doubt or mercy. They had to show the Protoss Templars were playing for keeps.

O O O

A lone hooded figure stood watching the massacre that was his master's forces getting ambushed by former lab rats. They watched impassively as the leader fell to a psionic blade embedded in his back, the skill of such a feat not lost on the observer. With a sigh, they mentally began their report to their master, ensuring that there would be no stray details. A shadow war was about to being; the master of Firstborn Collective would need to know everything about these "Protoss Templars."

O O O

 **8** **th** **Day, Month 1** **st** **, 500** **th** **cycle.**

In one of the many skyscrapers of Ark, a teenage girl sitting at a conference table was furiously attacking the keyboard on a laptop, her lips pursed as she stared at the endless scrolling code. She was dressed in a start contrast to her surroundings, a revealing red tank top with brown shorts that seemed to clash with her dark short hair. Her hands paused a few times before resuming the task of slamming text into the laptop, the machine nearly groaning at the harsh use. "Terrans…started. Zerg….started. Protoss….started. Everything is going to plan...? Dropship crash program initializing…"

The door to the conference room opened and the girl slammed the laptop shut, nearly catching a hand between the two halves. With a quick whisper, her clothes shimmered before turning into traditional Firstborn robes, the typical and expected wear. "I see that you've decided to take my warning seriously," She stated, staring straight ahead.

"Indeed. You were right about everything." The man hesitated before taking a seat across the girl, looking carefully at a tablet he brought. "We are indeed getting reports of serious dissent in various parts of our glorious empire. Nothing that we can squash out in time, but the fact remains that you were telling the truth."

"An interstellar empire such as the Firstborn would always have some form of internal strife. The question is, what are you going to do about it, oh leader of the Firstborn Collective?" The girl smirked at the hooded man's glare. "Your people hold office for now, but the moment revolutions begin, the common people may be swayed to the other side and…"

"Enough. We can deal with this ourselves," The leader snarled and the girl shrugged in response.

"Then I guess I will take my leave-"

"But I will not as foolish as to ignore free help, especially from one whose claims have proven accurate," The man reluctantly admitted, placing the data pad down. "So you wish to know the results of our…project?"

"Yes, and I do believe I have the right to know what happened to them. They are, after all, the results of my contribution."

"Very well. One is stable, and shows much promise. It is undoubtedly the better result, as her vitals and brainwaves shows signs of a strong psionic power within. I'll have my apprentice take on her as a student and we will have another great warrior on our side."

"That's good. And the other…?"

"Abject failure."

The girl blinked in surprise. "Beg pardon?" She asked, clearly not expecting that result.

"It's best you don't know the specifics. It may distress you with how poorly the other self came out, but it was expected that one of the two would be bad." The man gave a slight smirk. "In all hindsight, our previous results have shown that the worst the other outcome is, the better the ideal is. I wouldn't worry about it, we've already taken to disposing and reusing the body."

"This wasn't in the programming…" She muttered, tapping a finger on the computer. "Who's screwing with me?"

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing. I'm satisfied with the results. Many thanks."

O O O

As soon as the master of the Firstborn Collective stepped out of the conference room, leaving his ally behind mumbling to herself, a dark shape stepped out of the shadows to his side. "I trust that we still have use for her then?" His apprentice asked, easily matching the older man's stride. "Or would you like me to dispose of witnesses?"

"No, I can see that she will be vital to the future success of our operations," The leader replied, tossing a datapad to his student. The hooded figure read through the information before blankly handing it back. "Well?"

"Why not you? I am not entirely comfortable with the notion of…teaming up with others," They admitted. "I have more success in solo operations."

"Which is why I will be placing her under your tutelage. You need to learn the benefits of having tools at your disposal. If you still disagree with my notion, I am making it an order; I am a busy man and do not possess the patience to train another one of you."

"…understood master."

O O O

"Hm…so this new group called the 'Protoss Order' is promising acceptance for all?"

"It would appear so, my lady."

"Then I better meet them. Ah, if you could…?"

"I will arrange a meeting, my lady. You need not worry about having to go outside. I will make it so that they will come seeking you."

"Thank you."


	5. Sponsorship

**Disclaimer: I don't own Starcraft or its affiliates.**

 **Additional A/N: To clarify what took so bleeding long to update, Legacy of the Void and Nova's Covert Ops. They really changed a lot of ideas, a lot of planned characters in the story. I want to keep them original to a degree, but I also want to be faithful to the source material if possible. Thus, I had a mental rewrite. There is no actual rewrite in progress mind you; simply the one in my head. Enjoy.**

Sponsorship

 **11** **th** **Day, Month 1** **st** **, 500** **th** **cycle**

Zane glared at the reports on his desk in his sanctum, his eyes scanning the neatly handwritten text for the hundredth time, reading the exact same information for the hundredth time. He stared as if it would change the situation the reports were, well, reporting, as if he could just will away the issue with just his mind. Unfortunately, as the boy groaned and placed a hand on his forehead, it was not to be.

Their financial situation was amazingly poor. The people seeking refuge here often brought along their meagre savings and contributed them to the Protoss Order, but that was a horrible way to gain funds. They barely had enough money to keep their single building up and running, much less attempt to expand their base of operations. As much as Zane hated to admit, he needed to find sponsors for their cause. Preferably ones who wouldn't mind a little bit of cloak and dagger.

"Brother?" Zane groaned again as Xiao called out for him. "Everything alright?"

"No. I'm currently dying from lack of ambition. Please check in tomorrow," He deadpanned in response.

"Good to see that you're still a cynic," The older man chuckled, stepping into the Dark Templar's sanctum without even bothering to kneel. Only Xiao could get away with that. "Now, what is the issue?"

"Do we happen to have any secret family fortunes or lost nobles among us?"

"As far as I know, no." Xiao leaned over and scanned the reports on Zane's desk, letting out a low whistle as he did the mental math. "Wow. We are severely close to becoming bankrupt."

"Don't over exaggerate. We're not that dire…yet." With a sigh, Zane swept the reports all together in a little pile and got out of his chair, stretching and yawning. "We just need to find some sponsors for our cause, then our operations for expansion can begin. Problem is, who?"

"And who can we actually contact without immediately getting denounced?" Xiao offered, shaking his head. "I'm afraid I don't know any high class families that would support our cause. Most are already bundled behind the Firstborn Collective, so trying to get one of them to fund us would be instantly asking for an attack here."

"I agree, we can't be very open about it. But at the same time, we can't just stay stagnant forever. We need to look into offering services and making promises perhaps…"

"Just like a political party?"

"Just like one. But hopefully with more faith."

O O O

In the slums of Ark, it was unusual for anybody to be well dressed, seeing as the general financial situation of the area was very poor. It could be hardly expected for somebody wearing fine clothing to be walking around the place. But yet, that was what was happening.

A purple haired young woman, dressed very much like a maid in what had to be the finest clothes, was strolling down the streets of the slums, ignoring all the stares at her as she hummed and looked around. Her cerulean blue eyes beneath a dark blue mask scanned the decrepit posts and street signs, looking for a particular address. Countless sets of dirty and raggedly dressed people of the slums stared, envying her obviously fine silk clothes and neatly cut short hair under the headdress.

The expected occurred. Some of the more moral less gangers decided to approach her and "politely" ask her to follow them into a nearby alley for some private questions. Since they surrounded her, there really wasn't much of a choice but to agree. The moment they all disappeared into the darkness, there was the sudden sound of flesh tearing and screaming as unseen violence was had.

Then the maid emerged, shaking her head and straightening up her clothes, with nary a scratch on her or her mask. There was a brief moment of dumb realization from the surrounding people, before several of them rushed into the alleyway for hope of free loot. Of course, what they saw traumatized them, but it was the slums.

"Protoss Templars, let's see…" She murmured, looking around as she wandered down the streets. Finally, she smiled as she paused in front of what had to be their headquarters. The psionic power inside the building was harboring…this had to be them!

Before she could even take a step inside though, the shadows moved and suddenly she found herself held at blade point by various hooded figures. "Move and we kill you," One of them barked, raising their psionic blade threateningly.

"How rude." She sighed, resigned to have to fight with limitations. It wouldn't do to have first impressions marred by dead people, even if it was only four bodies. "At least introduce yourselves first, as well as your master. Proper etiquette to show in front of a guest."

"Silence. You are to remain quiet until we tell you so." The leader of the guards tried to make a not-so subtle poke at the maid's dress. Then all hell broke loose.

With a swift kick behind her, the guard kneeled over gasping as the maid's heel drove in his stomach. That same foot then swiped upwards and caught the guard's hoot, and with a swift roll, the purple haired girl rolled over the bent Templar using her foot as a pivot. Once on his back, she let out a vicious foot slam on the poor guard's spine, sending him stumbling forwards into the lead guard who had the right mind to quickly deactivate his blades before they impaled a comrade. He still went down under his friend's dead weight however, gasping for breath.

At the same time, the maid's hands flicked out to the sides before drawing back into a clasp as she stood upright and smiled, at the two other gaping guards. "Well? I suppose that you'll be much politer?" She teased, putting a gloved finger on her exposed lips beneath the mask.

With a shout, the duo charged the intruder, only to both stumble and cry out in pain as something tripped the charging Templars. They fell face first into the ground with groans, their thighs burning as though something had just dug into them with vicious force, hence their failed attack. The maid let out a rather haughty bark as she curtsied, lifting up her skirt ever so slightly in a mocking gesture at the lead guard, who was slowly getting back up.

The guard, to his credit, did not charge immediately, but rather assessed the situation and nodded before activing his blades again. "I don't know who you are, but you've taken out my guard unit in less than a few minutes. You are a worthy opponent. However, you're not getting past me!"

The woman's smile became genuine as she realized that the Templars were not entirely mechanical. "Very well then. Let's settle this," She giggled uncharacteristically, her eyes taking a hint of red in them as she curtsied again.

This time however, there was a flash of silver as something dropped out from beneath her skirt and the back of her foot snapped upwards to hit it over the maid's back and head before her right hand snatched up to grab it. With a flick of the wrist, she lobbed the knife at the guard, who easily evaded the attack.

Suddenly and quickly, he moved back as another knife behind it embedded itself in the wall on the other side. "Clever, trying to pin me with a classic feint. But-"

"I wouldn't move if I were you."

"What? What do you-urk!" The guard suddenly froze, his eyes going down to his throat as two razor thin objects began pressing against the skin under his hood. It was very clear that if he moved another centimeter, he would most likely have drawn his own blood.

A very sadistic grin came over the maid's face as she held up her right hand, two fingers raised upright. "My, my, you fell for that perfectly. Maybe I overestimated you Templars in skill…?" The maid teased. Then she tensed.

With a swift snapping sound, the pressure on the poor guard's throat disappeared and he fell to the ground in relief as reinforcements finally arrived. The maid swiped her right hand and managed to catch the solid fist strike at her face, though the resulting force sent her flying through the air. But with a swift backflip, she landed on her feet without much trouble, though under her vermillion locks her face was flushed red with excitement.

"Good reaction time," Xiao commented, cracking his knuckles and slowly rotating his neck. "Though it seems you won't have much muscle to take a direct hit."

"Not many people get the jump on me," The maid replied, a feral smile under her mask appearing as even more knives were drawn out of her costume's sleeves with both hands. "None lived to tell the tale."

The two eyed each other, assessing possible strengths and weaknesses for the coming battle. There was no question that both would be hard pressed to in in a fight against each other, but there was one easy answer: only one of them could win. With a deep breath-

"Oi, you two, cut it out." A swath of darkness and shadow flared up in between the two glaring foes, a rather tired Zane appearing once the flare died down, the handle of his deactivated scythe leaning across his shoulders and behind his neck. "Xiao, chill. You, maid, lay off my guards. Do you have any idea how much this is going to run me in medical bills?"

"Ah, my apologies!" All sense of hostility disappeared, as well as her knives as the purple haired lady curtsied. "I will admit to giving them too much of a beating, but with all due respect, they were rather rude."

"I'll see to updating guard protocols then," Xiao deadpanned, still tensed up with fists ready. "Now, why are you here? Come to think of it, who the hell are you?"

"My name is not important, but rather, the name of my mistress is one that you should be concerned about. Have you ever head of the Yue family?"

"…come inside and let's talk," Zane responded, swiftly moving to open the door and let their guest in. Once she had gracefully bowed in, Xiao appeared at his side, looking just a tad bit frantic. "Xiao, you know about this 'Moon' family?"

"All too well. If I'm not mistaken, they are currently the biggest financial backers behind the Firstborn Collective."

O O O

"So your mistress, Lady Yue, has an interest in the Protoss Order?" Zane asked tepidly, pacing back and forth in his sanctum where the three were meeting. "And she wants to meet us?"

"More specifically, she wishes for you to come meet her in her mansion," The masked maid explained further. "If you do indeed accept, then my lady will arrange for time to be made in her busy schedule to organize a talk with the leaders of the Templar Order."

"…I see. Please, I need to talk to my brother for a second, then I will give you our response."

The maid respectfully bowed and retreated out of Zane's office, letting the door shut and seal behind her. The blue haired boy sighed as he sank into his chair, swiveling it around as Xiao approached. "What do you think?"

"Honestly, that does sound interesting," The elder brother thought, tapping a finger against his chin. "Historically, the Moon family was among the wealthiest in the empire. When the Firstborn Collective was first created to unite the empire, the family was crucial in funding their armies in the war. They have been a stalwart supporter ever since.

But if I remember correctly, the current head of the family is one of Arks' elders, and still remains a staunch advisor of the Firstborn Collective. Why would he suddenly have a change of heart…?"

"The maid mentioned a lady. Could it be that the heir to the family wishes to change their allegiance? But at the same time, this could very well lead into the trap. It seems far too convenient, getting the offer for financial support at our beginning from the biggest pro Firstborn Collective family there is."

"She wasn't lying, I'm sure of it. Her eyes did not bear any deceit or trickery."

"Oh? How can you tell?"

"Her psionic presence didn't fluctuate at all during her story. Either she's telling the truth, or what she believes is the truth. Given her combat skills, I'm inclined to the former."

"Then I suppose that we may as well delve into the lion's cave. Call her back in. It's time we met up with this Lady Yue."


	6. Target Acquired

**Disclaimer: I do not own Starcraft or its affiliates.**

Target Acquired

 **20** **th** **Day, 500** **th** **Cycle**

The Moon Mansion was massive and ornate, though calling it a mansion is a bit of a misnomer. It was in reality a large skyscraper based near the heart of Ark, a towering monument towards the power and majesty of the influential family. Even from the outside, Zane and Xiao stared in awe at the many runes carved into the side of the building alongside the many intricate bricks. "Well, they certainly won't be running into any financial issues in the near future I think," Xiao muttered, holding a gauntlet up to his brow. "This is amazing."

"Let's get on to business then,' Zane proposed, finally breaking his stance and striding inside to the main welcome lobby. The glass doors slide apart smoothly as the two brothers walked in, both of them taking in the fancy and plush reception area. A well-dressed lady was sitting at the desk behind a computer, and she smiled at the two Templars entering the building.

"Hello, may I help you?" The receptionist asked, activing her screen with a few key swipes.

Xiao stepped up in an instanced, flashing a grin. "Good day my dear! Rather than helping me, I was wondering if I could just chat with you? I promise, I'll be out of your hair quick enough!"

"Aw, aren't you a charmer!" She giggled, turning to the younger brother standing next to Xiao. "And you?"

"We have an appointment with Lady Yue," The blue haired boy stated bluntly and the receptionist blinked in surprise, taken by the blunt manner and the audacity of such a statement.

"Well, um...can you please give me your names to check in the system-?"

"There is no need." Like a ghost, the masked maid that Xaio had fought appeared next to the started receptionist. "My lady has ordered me to lead them to her directly. Do not record them."

"Yes miss!" With a hasty bow, the lady excused herself into a backroom, most likely glad to be out of the awkward situation. The three watched her disappeared before the maid stepped forward and curtsied.

"I trust your journey here was simple?" She asked, her purple bangs hanging over the black ceramic. "My lady sincerely hopes that nothing troubled you traveling here."

"It was fine enough. If you don't mind, I'd rather like to move forwards to this meeting with Lady Yue," Zane curtly responded. The maid bowed again and turned, gesturing the two to follow her wordlessly.

"You know, you could have probably gotten past the receptionist just by smiling," Xiao chuckled as the Templars followed their guide. "And you should have read the atmosphere really; the receptionist was more than willing to let us in anonymously if we phrased it correctly."

"Really? How could you tell?"

"She was genuinely nice in a working environment. That usually means it would be child's play to slip past anonymously. I think that would be rather helpful without drawing attention, don't you think?"

"Perhaps."

With this, their conversation ended and the three walked in on silent. They took elevators, stairs, went past normal doors and security locks. Many other workers of the mansion past them, all of them always straightening their postures upon seeing the masked maid. Some looked at the two hooded Templars curiously, but they always passed on without further questions. It was obvious that the maid had to be above them all if her authority was unquestionable.

This opinion only heightened when the three approached a set of wooden doors with two armored guards standing in front. Upon seeing the masked woman, the guards quickly saluted and stepped aside, but she continued to glare at them. Eventually, they saluted again and took off, not even casting a glance at the two Templar guests that they passed. Xiao let out a low whistle, attracting the attention of their guide. "Yes?"

"I'm guessing that you're more than just a maid," The High Templar speculated. "And more than just a former mercenary or the like. Just what is your role here?"

A small smile crept onto her pale face. "Incorrect. I am nothing but a maid to Lady Yue. Now, please prepare yourselves. My lady is waiting for you in this room."

With that, the doors were pushed open.

O O O

The room was very dark. Barely any light illuminated the edges of the circular alcove, making it near impossible to see whatever was in it. But the center of the room was a very different story.

Surrounded by six pillars was a classic white clothed table, with a tea set resting on top. Further above, a large circular glass roof held back what seemed to be a miniature aquarium, filled with exotic species swimming around in the space above the meeting room. Whatever light that shone above this aquarium was heavily diluted and refracted by the water, casting random but elegant beams around the table in the center of the room. It was a rather interesting effect on the sole occupant of the room in the center, framing her almost in moonlight.

Zane and Xiao both blinked as they took in Lady Yue. She bore a kind smile as she raised her teacup to her lips, taking a sip while looking at the two brothers with soft eyes. Her elegant white dress hugged and emphasized her rather slender form, putting focus on her thin limbs. But what really got the Templars' notice was her hair and eyes as they took a quick glance at the maid guiding them.

The exactly same blue eyes and purple hair met them but the maid swiftly bowed into the shadows, leaving the two brothers to their host. The two looked at each other before Xiao gave a small chuckle and stepped forwards, Zane trailing behind him. Suddenly, the masked maid appeared before them in front of the table, pulling two chairs out for them to sit upon. Once both were seated, the maid curtsied and disappeared back into the shadows.

It was then, Yue finally spoke. "My, I do not wish to start ourselves on a wrong beginning, but I would had expected the leaders of the Protoss Order to be much more senior," She softly stated, placing her teacup down. "Or am I treated to simple delegates from the party?"

"I am the leader of the Protoss Order," Zane proclaimed, holding up a hand and snapping. A spark of lightning danced out before fading into the gloomy air. "Dark Templar Zane. This is my brother, High Templar Xiao."

"A pleasure to meet you," The older brother added, taking note of Yue's surprised face. "Is something the matter?"

"Again, I wish no insult or harm by my statements, but I had expected Xiao to be the leader as he is elder. But enough of my surprise." Yue took a sip out of her tea before looking at the two. "I will admit to having taken interest in your Templars, and your ideals. If you do not mind, can you please explain them to me?"

"The Templars seek nothing but betterment of society as a whole," Xiao cut in before Zane could respond, obviously seeing his younger brother's harsh response forming. "We believe that the Firstborn party, while presenting proper and good principles, have lost touch with the mass commons. To this end, we have formed the Protoss as an alternative and proper outlet for the majority."

"I see." Yue looked at the two and smiled. "That is a very nice party line. But, I want to hear your real purpose."

The High Templar blinked in surprise as his charisma failed, but Zane didn't even falter as he responded. "The real purpose I have behind the Protoss Order is the destruction of the Firstborn, then to take advantage of the power vacuum to install us as the new leaders of our galactic empire."

To this, Yue sighed and placed her cup down, putting a finger to her lips. "Well, I see why the white lies are necessary now. That is a very blatant admission…but at the same time, I will confess to sharing your ambition."

"I was under the impression that the Moon family was a very firm supporter of the Firstborn."

"That is my father, the current head of the family. He is true to their cause without falter, so any attempts to convince him otherwise are useless. I, myself, am of a different manner."

"Why so?" Zane challenged.

With a snap of her fingers, Yue summoned the masked maid forward and said servant pulled from under her dress a simple sheet of paper. "I have found evidence that suggests inhumane experiments being committed to the people that we lord over. When brought to my father's attention, he dismissed it without further action. That is my conflict with him. This atrocity cannot be committed while I can do something about it"

Zane took the paper from the maid and scanned the document, his pointed ears twitching slightly as he took in the list of Firstborn lab facilities…it was a long one. Already, he counted five possible targets within striking distance from their base. "And you want us to take action in your stead?" Xiao asked, leaning over to read the list as well.

"Indeed. Strike at these facilities, and free the people from these horrible experiments. Take them under your wing if they wish." Yue nodded. "In return, I shall offer you whatever resources I can siphon from my family's money machine."

"So we are getting paid to expand ourselves," Xiao mused, looking at his younger brother. "Considering our situation, I would advise you to accept this rather generous offer. It's essentially a win-win deal for both parties."

"I intend to. But first, I will simply emphasize the burden of this task, and the danger that is posed." Zane stared at Yue, showing not a single wavering strand in him. "Attacking these laboratories, while not beyond our skill range, will be the beginning of a shadow war with the Firstborn. And your family still identifies itself as Firstborn, so you will have to excuse our requirement of some form of dedication."

"I understand that. To that end, to promote cooperation between us…" Yue snapped her fingers and the masked maid appeared. This time, she looked confused, as if this was not planned. "You will have Luna's services."

"My lady?" Her servant asked, panicked. "Are you sure about this? Your condition-!"

"I will be fine. Please, serve them as they were me," Yue insisted, gesturing to the Templars. "Protect and fight for them for me."

"...I understand, my lady. I'll fulfill this duty as soon as possible so I can return to you." The maid turned and curtsied to the two guests. "I, Luna, am at your command. Please take care of me."

"Welcome to the Protoss Order."

O O O

 **23th Day, 500** **th** **cycle**

The Firstborn facility was nestled in another part of the slums, another mark upon the exploitation of the poor in the surrounding area. Armed guards patrolled its grounds and roof, making sure that any hint of hostility from the locals was quickly subdued and dragged in for "volunteer" testing. There was no telling how many lives was lost here.

Lab #203 was their target today.

The Dark Templars struck first, scouting the laboratories perimeter and taking out wandering guards, dragging bodies into the shadows. They quickly identified a single weak entrance point and passed the information to their brothers as they continued to wreak havoc and sow confusion among the panicking enemy.

Then the High Templars attacked. Utilizing the weak point from the intel of their brothers, they slammed hard into the fractured defense of the lab and shattered it in a flurry of elemental magic and psionic weaponry. There were no casualties on the Templar's side.

"It does seem that you are quite capable in both body and mind then," Xiao remarked, walking alongside Luna as they watched the Templar they commanded round up the surrendered. They would be most likely released to improve the image of the Protoss Order, though not before exposed to some propaganda so as to maximize the effect. "Utilizing the Dark and High Templar in a such a way is very traditional and tried method though."

"I am a firm believer that if it works, one should not try to fix it," The masked maid snapped back. "Besides, we hardly have numbers for any prolonged conflict, and this one already nearly forced the two of us to join in to ensure an overwhelming victory."

"A fair point," The blue haired Templar conceded. "It would be most definitely inappropriate to report anything but victory to Zane."

"Of course. He has much more important matters to attend to rather than bother himself to our role."


	7. Escape

**Disclaimer: I do not own Starcraft or any of its affiliates.**

Escape

 **Day 12** **th** **, 501** **st** **Cycle**

A standard practice that the Templars had gotten accustomed to was releasing all the prisoners during their raids. Doing so usually encouraged the test subjects to join the attack on their captors, and made these operations infinitely easier. Additionally, it would let the Templars note any promising individuals that should be recruited if possible for their cause.

This raid was no different. A quick dispatch of some patrolling guards, and the Protoss were in. They swiftly sought out the control room and, through experience, identified the proper buttons and levers. With a soft click, a light next to the controls turned red and the lab experiments were free.

O O O

The sound of his cell's door caused him to pause in his prayer.

He turned, expecting a boot in his face as the guards were fed up with his muttering, but there was nothing but a gap to freedom. The brown haired boy slowly got up, eyes darting side to side as they searched for traps. When none were forthcoming, a grin emerged on his face. "Faith has no equal indeed."

Without any further hesitation, he ran out, rags trailing behind him as he glanced both directions down the hallway. The escape quickly picked one and ran down it, eventually coming to another cell door that was slightly ajar, probably from the sudden unlock. But it wasn't fully open, so unless the prisoner inside closed it behind them...A memory emerged; a white haired prisoner, shackled both ankle and wrist in this cell. They wouldn't be able to escape even if the cell door opened randomly. It would be faithless to leave them to cruel fate. He moved to open it-

"There's one! Get him!" A pair of guards rounded the corner and spotted the boy. There was no doubt that he could run away, but that was not something his faith could be placed behind. Rather, he had faith that he could face them head on, and the boy snarled.

At the same time, his hand darted upwards and began to tingle as a bright shining light appeared within the fist, and the boy threw it with all his might. It struck true and one of the guards flew backwards, letting out a wet gurgle as the psionic dagger made of light embedded itself in its victim's throat. His partner stared in horror before receiving the same fate, the guard's body slumping to the ground as the boy entered the cell.

Inside, he found his faith appropriate as a fellow prisoner was chained to the roof and floor. Upon closer look, it was a white haired girl, her eyes closed as she dangled there, unable to do anything. It was a pitiful sight, and the boy swiftly examined the manacles. They were too tough to break through brute force, but…

A flick of the wrist, and a glowing psionic white dagger appeared in his hands. With a few slick slices, the bindings fell apart and the white haired girl slumped forwards. The boy moved to catch her, but she immediately straightened up by herself and stared at her savior. "Are you alright friend?"

She didn't say anything but gave a slight nod of the head. Then her blue eyes narrowed and she unceremoniously shoved the boy to the side as somebody new entered the room. It was a guard, looking to trap the two in the cell again, but seeing as he had been seen, the jailer moved to knock out the two escapees.

With incredible speed, the girl ducked under the guard's wild punch and then slammed her knee into his gut. As he bent over, she applied a follow up elbow strike to the back of the head which ended the fight quickly. The force of impact from the attack was so great that it cracked the man's helmet as he crashed to the ground, unconscious.

The boy blinked, then grin as he praised the girl. "Friend, faith has brought us together for a reason. Let us work together to escape this place!"

A nod confirmed her willingness to work with him. The two then proceeded to leave the cell and wandered around the hallways of the laboratory, searching for an exit or other prisoners. All around them, it was utter chaos as the blood of dead guards splattered everywhere against the walls and floors. There was the occasional body of an unlucky escaped prisoner, upon which the boy always gently closed their eyes, muttering a quick prayer while the girl looked silently on. Klaxon alarms wailed, the only real sound that echoed throughout the lifeless corridors as the sweet scent of death filled the two's nostrils.

Then the Templars appeared. Hooded figures emerged from shadows, causing the duo to leap back as the mysterious operatives closed in. Without any time to react or fight back, the group disappeared into the air as the laboratory was left to burn out.

O O O

The boy gasped violently as the immense pressure on his lungs lifted and he stumbled forwards, almost tripping over another escaped prisoner as they jolted in surprise. Luckily, they helped him stabilize and the brown haired boy nodded his thanks before taking stock of the surroundings, or rather the open rooftop they were on. Other people wearing dirty rags were sitting or lying down on the roof, all of them exhausted from their rescue. Just across the street was their old prison, burning as everything that was Firstborn was set to torch. It had to be purified.

The white haired girl watched the flames in stoic silence, never uttering a word as she turned and stared at her colleague in escape. He gave a reassuring smile in return, his faith and belief telling him that they were in no danger now. In fact…it felt like something new had open up for them.

And on cue, the Templars appeared again. Hooded men and women wearing green robes appeared surrounding the prisoners on the rooftops around them, all them eyeing their new charges with mild interest. The brown haired boy and the white haired girl looked at them curiously, then they both jolted as they felt two of their saviors appearing behind them. They turned to see two completely different people; one was a blue haired boy with a very fancy green robe, giving the two a grin that eased them. The other was a purple haired girl wearing a green maid uniform, a mask obscuring her face as her eyes scrutinized the duo.

"I must say, you all gave us quite an interesting performance during your escape," The man spoke first, getting the attention of all the escaped prisoners. "Well, welcome to freedom! Brought to you courtesy by the Templars, agents of the Protoss Order. If you wish to just walk away, nothing to stop you provided you don't try to interfere with us. But I speak the truth when I say that my boss wouldn't mind having you join our cause."

Then his eyes locked onto the two children standing defiantly in front of him. "Especially you two. What do you say?"

The boy looked into the man's eyes, then turned towards the maid standing next to him. For some reason, he felt that she was the one he should talk to. Perhaps his faith was compelling him to do so? But either way…

Without a word, the girl next to him stepped forwards and stared at High Templar Xiao. The man in return grinned and reached out with a hand, gently patting her white hair. "I'll take as a sign that you want to join us?" A nod from the girl. "Good then. If you don't mind…I think that I'll take you as my apprentice."

"You? That seems…inappropriate," The masked lady objected, crossing her arms. "The girl here has needs and concerns that you will not understand as a man. Am I not better suited for the task?"

At this, the young boy abruptly stepped forward and made a deep bow. "I…I wish to become your apprentice miss!" He shouted, his voice slightly breaking at the proclamation. "And if you are training two apprentices at the same time, then you will be unable to truly focus on improving our skills."

"The boy has a fair point," Xiao chuckled, obviously amused that the maid's plans were going awry. "Well?"

"I could always turn him down," Luna retorted, but a rather sadistic grin was breaking out below her mask. "But he asked for it. Boy, you're going to regret asking for my full attention now. Are you ready for hell?"

"Master, my faith shall see me through any obstacle!" The boy barked, his eyes blazing with determination as he stood straighter. "I shall endeavor to aspire to whatever new goals you see fit to set!"

"Then I shall accept you as my apprentice, boy."

"That worked out rather nicely then," The High Templar commented, nodding to the other Templars as they took the remainder of the escaped prisoners to whatever destination they asked for. "I honestly expected one of you two to refuse our offer, not that I would hate you for it. Oh, forgive my manners, what are your names?"

The girl was silent, her face showing a slightly troubled expression as she looked away. The High Templar blinked, then snapped his fingers in realization. "Ah. Can't speak?" A nod. "Okay, fair enough. How about you?"

"I fear that whatever name I had has been lost to obscurity, as it was faithless. As to shall be my new name if I fail to remain faithful to my new cause."

"It doesn't matter, it's not as if he needs a name," Luna sneered, examining her new apprentice as if he was a tool before turning to the mute girl with a surprising amount of sympathy. "Perhaps the girl though…"

"I'd prefer it if you were to actually treat your student like a proper living thing, but I guess if he doesn't mind, there's not much I can do," Xiao sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "But a good name for him would be…Leon. How's that sound?"

"It shall be a name that shall sing with faith!" The newly christened Leon cried, bowing deeply again. "Please, master, teach me how to resolute!"

"I intend to do as much, boy," The masked lady replied, noticeably ignoring the new name. "You say that faith is your hold towards life; I will see to it that your faith is your weapon as well."

"As for you…" The blue haired man turned and hummed as the white haired girl stared at him. "I'm honestly at a bit of a loss. Maybe Zane could think of something, but-"

"Angel." Luna stepped forward and caressed the silent girl's cheek with a hand. Both her apprentice and colleague looked in surprise at the sudden gentleness. "You look like an angel. So your name will be one."

The girl nodded her thanks and stepped back, giving a bow to her new master. Luna then quickly stepped back as well, redirecting her gaze elsewhere hurriedly. Xiao couldn't help but chuckle at the fluster shown by the maid, risking her ire as she glared at him. "I believe that does take care of names though. Oh, of course, our names. I am Xiao, and this is Luna."

"Master Xiao and Master Luna then, we are pleased to be your apprentices!" The brown haired boy stated, the white haired girl nodding in agreement. "Please take care of us!"

"Let's get you back to base then. You'll need new clothes and weapons…"


	8. Apprenticeship

**Disclaimer: I do not own Starcraft or its affiliates.**

 **I feel that I owe a lot of people apologies regarding my participation in the forums. Simply put it, I really just feel overwhelmed by the task of managing the forums. It got to the point where I realized that my inexperience with managing and interacting with a community is telling. As such, I will regretfully inform you all that my participation in the forums is minimal at this point. I will still be around though, and I still will see PMs so if there is any inappropriate behavior, please message me and I will act. The forums will still stay up for the community, so please still be there for them. Thank you all for your continued support of the Rebirth series!**

Apprenticeship

 **Day 20** **th** **, 501** **st** **Cycle**

"Put more energy into that stab! What are you trying to do, tickle him to death?"

"Yes master!"

"Your flank it wide open! Remember to keep moving, keep situational awareness in battle!"

"Yes master!"

"Stop being a toad and repeating that stupid response!"

"Of course master!"

Xiao let out a light chuckle as he watched Luna push her apprentice through a very heavy intense training session, one involving multiple target dummies that moved around on automated cranks. The boy, Leon, wasn't doing badly even as his master shouted at him. In fact, the High Templar should be praising him for his swift and purposeful moves. It was as if the brown haired boy was dancing among the dummies, the hidden blade in his gauntlet carving elegant furrows into the wood.

Additionally, the master saw several holes made in some of the dummies. What could have caused them? A moment later, he had his answer as Leon flicked his arm and a glowing dagger of pure light energy slammed into one of the untouched dummies. The dagger quickly disappeared, but the damage was done and there was now a gaping hole in the target.

Eventually, Luna called off the exercise and her apprentice collapsed to the floor. It was obvious that she had pushed him far beyond any normal or reasonable means. But just as quickly, Leon was back on his feet and managed to present a respectful bow to his master before staggering drunkenly out. Xiao winced at the sight. Poor boy's muscles had to be beyond sore.

"Hmph. He's too weak-minded," Luna complained as her colleague walked up to examine the practice dummies. "Once the boy focuses on something, he fixates on it to a disturbing degree and ignores everything else."

"Isn't that a proper skill of an assassin though?" Xiao replied. "Perhaps honing that single mindedness will reveal his true abilities?"

"Please. His abilities, if you can even call it them, is his so called 'faith.' Through this belief, he supposedly manifests light energy and shapes it into weapons of 'faith.' What a load of blasphemy."

"You have a better theory than the one who actually uses it?"

"It's simply his psionic talent. He has control over the element of pure light, which can be manifested into anything the user wishes. However, I haven't the slightest idea how he uses it in such a damaging manner. Light is usually just used for party tricks."

"Perhaps then this is where his so called faith comes into play? If one believes hard enough, they can make something into reality, or that is at least what they say."

"Utterly ridiculous…but this is going too far." Slightly adjusting the mask on her face, Luna scratched at her cheek before turning to Xiao. "How goes Angel's training?"

"She is unique. No matter what our medics or healers do, her voice never comes back. This makes communication an issue. But she accepts it without hesitation, so that makes up for whatever disadvantage caused by the curse of silence."

"Maybe I should look into the issue as well…and her combat potential?"

"Now here's the really weird part." Xiao sighed and scratched his head. "She has no psionic potential."

"What? Impossible! All Firstborn are born with at least some degree of control over the elements!"

"It doesn't seem to be the case in her situation. So in the meantime, I've been putting her through manual training exercises with weapons, and she's been putting up a decent job."

"It doesn't make sense…I sensed a strong power in Angel," Luna mumbled. "Where's that power gone off to now?"

"Perhaps you were wrong? I don't mean to be disrespectful to my apprentice, but it really doesn't seem as though she is anything skilled in combat. And without speech or psionic power…what exactly can she hope to attain?"

"What we all hope to attain." Zane's voice jolted the two subordinates out of their conversation as the Dark Templar appeared from the shadows, the darkness parting as he walked towards the illuminated center. "I hear you two have taken apprentices."

"Ah, brother. I was meaning to inform you officially of our decision," Explained Xiao. "I do hope that you have no qualms about us taking apprentices?"

"Why not just put them through the standard training regimen?" The young Templar harshly questioned. "If they show any special talent or skills, then it will manifest itself during the training. Then they themselves can practice those abilities in the field and hone them."

"That is entirely true; field experience would exceed anything that we could teach them in this closed environment. But," Here, Zane held up a finger to declare his argument. "Our apprentices could then become extensions of our authority and power. While the spirit of our Templar warriors is undeniable and unwavering, an proper extension of higher leveled members would do greatly for morale."

"We could just appoint the veterans to this role."

"Ah, but they already have engrained in their heads what is right and wrong, what is acceptable and what is needed. By having our own agents, trained and appointed by us personally, then we are then truly represented."

Zane fell quiet, obviously brooding over the decision. Xiao and Luna watched as he began mumbling, his eyes flicking back and forth as it calculated the situation's factors. It wasn't unusual for him to do this when things started getting complicated; having both of your direct subordinates taking apprentices is indeed an issue. But in the end, the young boy sighed and gave a slight nod. "You have my blessing. Let me know when you believe they are ready for some field experience and I'll throw them whatever targets come our way."

"Many thanks brother!" Xiao heartily cheered, clapping his brother's back. "Believe me, I will make Angel a true Templar worthy of our cause!"

"The boy shall learn or he will not pass," Luna declared. "I will make him into a Templar upon your orders."

"That determination is what I hope you will pass onto your apprentices. Now, please call them both in here. I wish to formally bless this appointment."

O O O

Angel was quiet as she slowly polished the psi-gauntlets that Master Xiao had given to her. Her pale hands fell into a steady rhythm of cleaning the dirt and debris between each groove and engraving on the weapon. After a considerable time, she paused and tested its fixings, making sure that it fit snugly on her wrist.

Satisfied, the white haired girl placed it aside on the table and turned to start cleaning the other weapon. Though she would have to redo this again after the next training session, Angel wanted her gear to be at least presentable if Master wanted a look at it. Unfortunately, she was interrupted by a very loud voice.

"Angel! How goes your day my friend?" Leon greeted, taking a seat on the opposite side of the table. The girl gave a single thumbs up gesture in response. "That is happy tidings indeed! So what are you doing now?"

The female Templar in training held up the gauntlet she was cleaning and the brown haired boy chuckled. "Ah, maintenance on your equipment is truly faithful to them. Well-kept weapons only benefit one's capability in carrying out their beliefs!"

Angel hid a small smile as she watched her friend preach in a very boisterous manner about keeping good equipment. She didn't mind such episodes when Leon would just launch into full tirades about anything, and it always all pertained to faith. They were always entertaining to listen to, and the boy appreciated that he at least had one audience member.

However the preaching was cut short by Master Luna appearing next to Leon and smacking the side of his face. "Boy, shut up already," She ordered, a slight hint of exasperation in her voice. "I told you already to kill it with the faith preaching."

"Yes master! My faith and I will pass your test of will!" Leon excitedly declared, already fully recovered from the sudden slap. "There is nothing that I shall disappoint you in!"

"Men," The masked maid muttered, turning to Angel and beckoning to the girl. "Both of you, with me. Dark Templar Zane wishes to anoint you and make official your position."

Wordless, Angel nodded and rose, strapping both polished gauntlets on.

O O O

"So, you are Leon and Angel." Zane watched as the two slightly squirm under his stare and he allowed a small grin under the cowl of his hood. "You are apparently considered worthy enough by my subordinates to be taken as direct apprentices. I trust you both understand the implications of such a responsibility."

The two gave slight nods, still awed by the presence of such a powerful Templar. Even inexperienced, they could sense the power radiating off him. There was no doubt that he was more powerful than their two masters combined together.

"Then, if you two think yourselves ready, I will formally declare you both Zealots of the Protoss Order." Now, the Dark Templar stepped back and gestured to Zane and Luna. Both of them stepped up and leaned in towards the kneeling apprentices.

With deft hands, each master took a strand of their students' hair and tied it up into a braid, inserting a small green bead with it. This was an apprentice's braid and signified that they had sworn fealty to a master. It would forever remain on them until cut off, upon which they become independent from their teacher.

But for now, the two would bear this braid with pride as it meant they were now known. Word would spread and it wouldn't be long before all of the Protoss Order knew that they were to be respected and feared, much like their masters. Of course, it came with the responsibility that both would have to act in a proper and representative way, but they were willing.

And that was all that mattered.

"Let it be known then that Leon and Angel have willing entered apprenticeship under High Templar Xiao and High Templar Luna respectively, knowing full well the burdens and tasks they are now entrusted with," Zane proclaimed. Luna sent him a glare from under her mask, obviously slightly miffed she had the exact same title as her colleague. "They are to remain under this period of tutorship for an indefinite period until determined by their masters as worthy of graduation. May this be a proper and fruitful relationship that can only benefit the Protoss Order."

O O O

He was brooding. His master was not very happy with the recent actions of the Protoss Order, as they were now beginning to significantly disrupt research progress. Soon enough, an order would come down to deal with this once and for all, but he knew that it was fruitless. Their base was far too well defended now to mount a successful attack.

No, rather like the so called Templars, they had to mark targets outside the base. They had to find whoever was leaking information about the location of these labs and silence them somehow. There was no doubt that there had to be someone high up, meaning that it was entirely possible to track them…

"Master! Please, wait up!" He turned to see a red hooded person scrambling up the building, obviously out of breath as she bent over, panting. "I can't keep up with your speed yet!"

"Then get good." With that, he leapt to the next building over and had the grim satisfaction of watching his apprentice moan and groan about aching muscles. She eventually began moving though, but not without a few swears and curses.

Having an apprentice to torture was mildly satisfying.


	9. The Rippers

**Disclaimer: I do not own Starcraft or its affiliates.**

 **A/N: I have no idea why, but is suddenly rejecting my file uploads even though I've always done it the same way since I began. Interesting, but I'll hand type each chapter back on the site if I have to. Hope a fix comes soon.**

The Rippers

 **Day 27** **th** **, 501** **st** **Cycle**

"These raids have gone far enough. Any more labs and the project will start dipping into the risk of failure. This is unacceptable."

"What would you have me do my master?"

"One of the labs is currently being attacked. You won't be able to save it in time, but those fools may linger. Head there and dispatch rightful justice if possible."

"Your bidding is my command."

O O O

"Perimeter has been secured." One of the green hooded Templars reported and Xiao nodded in satisfaction. From the rooftop he was perched on, he could just barely make out the green dots that comprised the assault team for this particular raid, and it looked like they were secure. "Permission to begin cleansing?"

"Go for it," The High Templar approved and the subordinate bowed before disappearing back into the shadows. "Now, Angel, we need to make sure that this lab is purified of all Firstborn bias besides what we need. Understand why?"

The silent apprentice nodded and pointed to herself, then to Xiao. Somehow, he made sense of those gestures. "Correct. We'll establish a Protoss Order center here as an extension of our program. Slowly but surely, we are spreading word of our existence as a party that stands up for the people and the new. Then come elections, we will make our mark."

Angel again nodded, obviously appreciating the insight into the Templars' actions as she looked over the edge. A frown formed on her pale face and she lightly nudged her master to get his attention. With a single finger, she pointed and Xiao's eyes followed to see a person wearing a green coat lying down on a nearby rooftop.

The same frown was now on his face and the blue haired man leapt down to the Templar, obviously disturbed. Angel followed soon behind, her green coat fluttering in the air as she elegantly landed on both feet. She quickly checked to make sure her hood still shadowed her face before moving forward to stand next to her crouching teacher.

With a slight grunt, Xiao flipped the body around to get a good look at its front. He then visibly recoiled, muttering curses under his breath. "Dead!" He exclaimed, noting the bloody slashes across the dead Templar's chest and neck. "Angel, signal the rest!"

Swiftly, the white haired girl turned around and began scaling the building adjacent to them, finding footholds in impossible locations and swinging herself upwards. There was a messenger Templar that was posted to be near Xiao in case something about the raid went awry. The plan was to swiftly contact them and have them issue the evacuation order.

That went to hell as Angel heard a scream and instinctively hugged the building she was scaling. Barely a heartbeat later, a body wearing a green hooded coat dropped in the air behind her, no doubt dead from either wound or fall. Immediately, she knew she had to engage or risk more of her brother and sister Templars being killed.

Quickly, she made sure her footing was good before taking hands off the building. With a flick of the wrists, a pale green psi-blades ignited on each hand. Angel had an odd trait of adjusting the gauntlets so that the blades came out over the back of her hand rather than beneath the palm. It was certainly more effective in raw combat that way, but a bit of stealth is lost in the process.

This was certainly no time for stealth. Angel took a deep breath and then she jumped, somersaulting in the air to keep her momentum before breaking out into a landing posture. Immediately, as she began descending in the air to the rooftop perch, she saw her target.

A figure in a red and black coat with a shadowing hood stood there, looking slightly surprised. The design of the coat was a near replica of her own, meaning that this had to be Firstborn as the Templars simply dyed the reclaimed clothes. But that all mattered little as her attention was drawn to the blood-soaked weapon they held.

It wasn't a psi-blade, the blood would have been immediately burnt off. Rather, it was an actual sword, a longsword to be exact. It pulsed as odd blue circuits ran through the entire blade, giving the impression that the weapon was something very high tech combined with a traditional sword. There was no doubt that this had slayed her fellow Templars though, and thus this was the killer.

Her arms swung downwards as she tried attacking the enemy while landing, but the Firstborn was too swift and raised his blade to parry the twin strike. Angel let her body flow with her weapons and flew to the side, her feet finally touching the rooftop as she regain her balance. This was her first fight!

And it would be her last if she didn't pay attention! Angel mentally swore as she ducked under a swift slash, the swordsman not letting up for a moment as he wildly swung his blade. From below, she angled her blade upward and thrusted, only to receive a swift knee to the gut. Her opponent's blade was too far away to retaliate, so they had to resort to body.

But the Templar in training remained unfazed and again allowed her body to fly through the air, pretending to be winded until she twisted and landed neatly. From there though, the battle just got worse for her as her opponent finally regained their momentum and composure. The surprise attack was over.

Now they attacked ferociously, blade slashing and slicing in angles that made evading impossible. Angel found herself backpedaling wildly as she parried and blocked swing after swing, the solid blade sparking off the psionic gauntlets. Soon, the Templar felt her boot hesitate as she was pushed to the rooftop edge, a plummeting drop to the street below as the next building was too far away to retreat to in a single leap. The Firstborn cleaved downwards with their sword and it took all of Angel's strength to catch it with her dual blades before it split her head neatly down the middle. The white haired girl let out a few gasps as she felt the assailant trying to force the weapon down onto her, their shadowed faces drawing close as their weapons sparked between then.

With a grunt, her leg snapped forward and caught the enemy by their stomach, payback for the previous attack as they stumbled backwards reeling. Immediately, Angel followed up with a flurry of her own swings, trying to at least nick her enemy with her glowing weapons. There was no luck to be found their as they swiftly dodged and jumped back.

The two took this mutual moment of truce to rest up and assess their wounds. Angel's body felt slightly battered from having taken several strikes to her stomach and sides, but she was still able to move, albeit stiffly. She'd have to remember that if she needed to make any quick movements.

Judging from how her enemy was slightly wheezing, they weren't doing hot either. She must've hit something rather painful with her kicks. That could hopefully level the playing ground.

It was such a foolish hope. In the moment, Angel saw a blur and her eyes widened as she threw herself hard against the rooftop. The air whistled as her foe's sword slashed where her neck once was, a very close call. Mentally, the Templar apprentice berated herself for underestimating for a single second this enemy as she rapidly rolled to evade the follow up attacks.

With a swift twist, Angel lifted herself up with a hand, vaulting over the roof edge and falling down the building. Her assailant didn't follow as she landed on the next building and took off running, her coat trailing behind as she parkour over the various vents. She risked a glance behind to see, most incredibly, the odd weapon had been thrown towards her. It wasn't much of an effort to jerk to the side and allow the weapon to embed itself on the floor next to her. Exactly what was the point of that?

A loud fizz was heard and, to Angel's amazement, the Firstborn warrior was there, his body manifesting around his weapon in a glow of blue digital squares. He swiftly yanked out his weapon and kicked out the Templar's feet, her running momentum being used against herself as she crashed and skidded against the rooftop. Her head struck a vent and her vision spun with stars as she laid there, completely stunned. When her brain finally rebooted and she could see straight again, her first sight was the Firstborn standing over her, ready to plunge his blade into her chest. There was no hope for escape in time.

Then Xiao appeared. Like lightning, he appeared in a flash and struck, a gauntlet fist slamming against the Firstborn's head and sending them flying. Angel blinked, completely taken by surprise as her master gently pulled her up, minding her sore head. "You shouldn't always hesitate to ask for help," He chided lightly, seemingly turning this close clash with death as a lesson. "You're still my student. Don't be afraid if you need some help with something."

She nodded, obviously humbled as the two turned to see their enemy staggering back to their feet. They dabbed at their hidden mouth with a glove and the two Templars were pleased to see the glint of blood on the leather. Finally, a noticeable wound.

Then they spoke. It was obviously a man's voice, albeit slightly high. "This was a warning. Do not interfere with our work again, or there will be more bodies." The message delivered, he disappeared into the shadows when the two blinked. He must have the same powers as Zane's Blink.

The blue haired man and the white haired girl stood there in silence for a few moments, obviously taken back by the warning. Xiao and Angel glanced at each other, unsure what to do next until another Templar arrived, distressed and panicked. "High Templar, half of the team is dead! An unknown enemy wearing a red and black coat has killed them all! What should we do!?"

"Order the team to pull back. We need to reassess the situation now that we have massive losses and this new threat. Wait until I have confirmation on our next action from Zane himself."

"Yes sir!" The messenger retreated back to recall the raid team, leaving Xiao and Angel to their own musings and mind war. There was much to consider and tell. Zane wouldn't be happy.


	10. Public

**Disclaimer: I do not own Starcraft or its affiliates.**

Public

 **Day 28** **th** **, 501** **st** **Cycle**

"This is an outrage! We must not give in to this new pressure from the Firstborn; any act of such will only show weakness!"

"No, we must take this threat seriously and act cautiously now! Our Templar numbers are not numerous or ready enough to confront the Firstborn in open combat now!"

Zane's office was a source of heated debate as the gathered Templar Masters split into two groups in regards to yesterday's incident. The Dark Templar had immediately summoned the highest among the Protoss Order for a special discussion to deal with this sudden aggression. Needless to say, after the news was broken, two different groups had formed in regards to what needed to be done.

Sitting at his desk was Zane, hearing both sides throw insults and retorts back and forth in front of him. Xiao and Luna stood at this side, unsure if they should break up this divide or let it continue for the sake of allowing free speech. This was a very troubling separation of ideas that may fracture the Protoss Order in half.

"If we are to give in to this threat, then we are no better than others that have risen against the Firstborn! We will be crushed like insects if we do not show that we will not be cowed! The people shall stand with us!"

"By showing restraint and control over our actions to respect the Firstborn, they then will be forced to show respect to us! When the elite of Ark sees us as a truly peaceful and respectable institution, then they will flock to us! The nobles shall stand with us!"

"But what if we were to do both?" Zane quietly asked, his voice severing the shouting in the room like a psi-blade through flesh. "I propose that we continue operations, but make them quieter and more discreet. We have enough recruitment facilities as it stands now, and they are bastions against the Firstborn. Expansion will continue, but it will be silent as opposed to how open we once were about them."

"Then, brother, how do you propose to counter this smaller expansion?" High Templar Xiao pointed out. "If we are to expand quietly, we will still draw attention if nothing else is focused on us. We need a public face if the population is to ignore these incursions."

"It shall happen then." The Dark Templar nodded, then stood up from his chair. It was almost comical as he was very much shorter than majority of the Templar in the room on account of his age, but the authority and command he wielded was unmatched. "High Templar Xiao! Prepare the Protoss Order to become a public political party! We shall, to begin official relations, invite the Firstborn to a debate of ideas!"

This generated a storm of whispers and shocked murmuring among the Templars. Dark Templar Zane debating with the leader of the Firsborns?! That was asking for an assassination target painted on him! But of course, with his skill, it could work out fine…

"High Templar Luna! I entrust you the sole responsibility of continuing our expansions. Continue raiding, but make it discreet if possible and only do so when we have taken public stage so that the attention is on us."

"It shall be done, master." The maid curtsied, then nodded to Xiao. "If you will, I shall borrow Angel for these missions. I believe that smaller but more elite raids shall suffice for the purpose."

"She needs the experience anyway. I'll let her know that she should be expecting to be called upon more often,' He agreed.

"If that is what we will do, then this discussion is over. I will later release a report detailing how we shall be separated on these fronts, and who will work on them. For now, take time to spread the word," Zane ordered. The remaining Templar slowly trickled out of his office, many still taken back by his rather sudden declaration of going public. But he knew best for their order.

Once the Masters have left, Zane let out a sigh and slumped back into his chair. "Xiao, let's get this going then. Send out a notice that we wish to partake in a public debate with the Firstborn."

"Shall I send it to the news companies as well?"

"Yes, please do so. We must spread our word quickly so as to be recognized for legitimacy."

"Of course then. But there is another issue I wish to bring up as well regarding raids, though I am not part of them anymore."

"What is it/"

"Communication. One of our critical flaws exposed last time was our lack of reliable and fast messaging. Most of our casualties in the raid team were unaware about the Rippers until it was too late."

"Rippers?" Asked Zane confusedly.

"A nickname we have given to the Firstborn attackers on account of how bloody they were in massacring us," Xiao explained. "My fault really, I referred to them as such and people liked it."

"It will do. In any event, we will then have to look into a better communication method. Luna, please start exploring possible avenues for increasing our Templar's combat potential."

"But of course master," The masked lady replied, nodding in agreement. "How much authority do I have to explore possible new gear?"

"Assume unlimited, but report to me first."

"Very well then. If you will excuse me then, I have operations to plan."

"As do I, brother. I shall inform you when the declarations have been sent out."

O O O

Angel was busy cleaning her gauntlets again. But rather than the slow methodical and delicate method usually performed, her hands were shaking as they hastily swiped the cloth back and forth on the equipment. Eventually, she gave up and tossed the gear on the table before placing her head on her arms against the table.

"My friend, I see that you are troubled." Leon appeared at her side and glanced at the discarded weapons in front of the white haired girl. It was very easy to figure out her problem; news about the Rippers had already done rounds among the Templars. "Is it because of your first real combat experience?"

A pause. Then Angel slowly nodded, still not looking at her friend as she sighed. Taking it as a sign that she wasn't too moody, Leon sat down right next to her and patted his companion's back.

"Anything worthy of being pursued will always require sacrifices. The degree of what a person sacrifices varies, but it is up to them to decide how much they want…and how much they are willing to give." The brown haired Templar apprentice tapped his finger against Angel's gauntlets. "All of us here took oaths that we would commits our lives to achieve our ultimate goal. Are you having doubts about that goal now?"

A firm shake of the head. "Then what are you afraid of? That one day, you'd have to sacrifice your own life for our cause?"

Angel slowly lifted her hand and pointed a finger at…Leon? The boy was confused for a split second before a wide grin broke out on his face and he began laughing. "Ah! You're afraid about having to sacrifice others?" A nod of confirmation. "Then there is a simple solution my friend!

"We just have to make sure that those sacrifices are never needed!" He swept his hands wildly around, putting one over his chest and the other outstretched in a preaching gesture. "Sacrifices will vary, but having faith and power alone will change those needs! Angel, my dear, you worry too much about what you have to throw away!

"Rather, focus on what you can give yourself!" Leon then proceeded to jolt Angel in her seat as he suddenly leapt up on the table, hands outstretched as he shouted, "We are all capable, with our faith, to change destiny and fate! Angel, with us at the helm, we shall change fate from sacrifice to success!"

The girl watched, mouth slightly agape as her friend bent down and offered a hand up to join him on the top. When the situation finally caught up with her, Angel bent over and covered her mouth, her body trembling as she tried to contain it but it was futile. The impulse was far too strong.

She laughed. It was weak sounding and slightly hoarse, but Angel laughed. Her throat felt like it was burning as she did so, but the Templar apprentice didn't care as she reached up and grabbed her friend's hand. With a slightly grunt, Leon pulled her onto the table, taking care not to accidentally knock her discarded gauntlets off top. "My friend," Leon proclaimed, spinning her rather whimsically around, "We will be the beacon that illuminates others! Our faith shall be the light that illuminates and blasts away the need for sacrifice!"

The other Templars in the room looked at the two dancing apprentices with varying degrees of wariness and shock, but it didn't matter to Angel as she let herself twirl around on the table. So long as she could protect them now, then that was all that mattered. She would get stronger. She would become a warrior equal with her master.

O O O

"Bah. Bah. Bah!" She was angry at her own project. The other two races had been progressing ridiculously well in comparison to her own Protoss. The Terrans were very much on track, having begun the creation of modernizing their little society. The Zerg were even faster, rapidly growing and assimilating. There was even slight concern that they were progressing too fast. But her Protoss?

This shadow war would drag on for decades! The revolution was only just beginning and the fleet was still forming. It would be impossible to get them ready when galactic contact was schedule. Then she'd be the laughing stock of her colleagues!

Unless…

This was very risky. But it would work. In fact, in the long run, she could….aha!

With a sigh, the girl opened up her laptop, the screen lighting up her face in a dull blue shade. A hand reached out and felt around for a while before it eventually grabbed a soda cup and brought the straw to her lips. A long sip was in order first to brainstorm the basics of this program. As she sipped, her free hand began typing.

Basic function: A program of communication, augmented vision, automated functions.

How to implement: Fuse directly into brain. Create neural network.

Result: Digitalized and easier combat.

Name: The Khala Program.

Yes, that would do quite nicely.

O O O

The riots were mounting. The Governor of Tithe was beginning to worry as he watched the people outside shout and jeer at the guards posted outside. Already, some were reporting activities were bordering on violent.

Tithe was a small planet on the fringes of the glorious Firstborn Galactic Empire. It was a small and quiet world, though the population was still about a considerable 2 billion for a small colony. At the first prospect, it was a nice and perfect position for anybody.

But the people here had suffered. Far from their species' home planet, they languished and complained about their lack of rights in comparison to Ark. Indeed, there have always been riots about their inequality in the past, small protests and green roots movements.

But never this scale. Something had not riled up only a portion of the disenfranchised, but it had rather encompassed everybody. Poor and wealthy, affluent and starving, all were shouting and protesting outside the Governor's palace.

He had enough. The fat Firstborn jabbed a button on his desk intercom. "Head of the guard, disperse these peasants. Have all the nobles participating arrested. I want this dealt with before my afternoon tea. Use of firearms is authorized."

There was no response. How odd. The Governor frowned and checked to make sure the intercom was working. He was talking to the chief of his security only a few minutes ago. Had something gone wrong?

As if to answer the question, the exquisitely carved wooden doors to his office slammed open in splinters. The Head of guard was thrown onto the Governor's desk, reducing it to firewood as the armored man groaned in pain. Bewildered, the overweight official scrambled back in fear as the ones responsible strode into his office.

Three people in blue coats with hoods were standing there, soiling his expensive carpet with bloody footprints. Immediately, the Governor recoiled as one of them activated psi-blades, but the lead figure shook their head and put out an arm. After a while, they eventually depowered the weapons, but that did little to reassure the man. "Who the hell are you?!" He demanded, shaking with fear.

"We are the revolution," The leader replied, gesturing to the jeering crowds outside. "We speak for them when we say that your head is desired. The people sing for a change, and that it be baptized in blood. But we are not so barbaric."

"What?"

"Surrender and renounce your position peacefully. Announce that you understand and condemn the wrongs committed and are willing to stand trial for fair justice to be served."

"You jest! I will not do so!" Here, a semblance of courage seized the Governor as he held his head high. "You will tell them to disperse and turn yourself in for proper justice! Disturbing the peace has a consequence! And if you knew who I am supported by, then you shall comply!"

"We do not fear the Firstborn Collective. But you have made your choice." With a gesture, the previously hooded aggressor was let loose and they strode forward, slamming their hand onto the Governor's throat, the act slightly incredible considering the layers of fat coating it.

The flailing man's eyes saw, for a split second, the eyes hidden by the shadows in the hood. They bore a murderous, and slightly gleeful expression as the assailant kicked open the windows. "This is for the people," They whispered before the screaming governor was thrown out of the window and into the cheering crowds below. "The Revolution has begun!"


End file.
